Chương 6: 6 - Punishment

The expansive courtyard was bathed in bright floodlights as a furious crowd of young women gathered before the school's main building. At the forefront, a wooden podium stood with four wooden poles, each bearing a captive tied tightly to it. Gakuto, Andre, Shingo, and Joe hung in disgrace from left to right, their bare forms exposed, save for the ropes strategically wrapped around their waists.

From a safe distance, Kiyoshi watched in horror, trembling uncontrollably. His heart sank as Gakuto, in a desperate bid to shield him, took full responsibility for the incident, claiming the others were the only culprits. His words earned no mercy. A girl, her features blurred by Kiyoshi's panic, stepped forward, brandishing a whip and delivering stinging blows to Gakuto's groin. The crowd roared as her accusations rang out, and she unleashed the mob of pajama-clad girls armed with tennis rackets, baseball bats and other tools. The throng descended upon the four tied boys, delivering a merciless beating that would have made any horror film pale in comparison.

To Kiyoshi, the scene was surreal, a grotesque transformation from the blissful paradise of watching those same girls moments earlier. The memory of their glistening skin, soft curves, and delicate forms in the bathhouse now felt like a cruel mirage, replaced by a hellish nightmare of vengeance.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Kiyoshi muttered under his breath, his voice shaking with disbelief.

"They are the Underground Student Council," a serene voice replied from behind him.

Kiyoshi spun around, nearly stumbling in fright. Before him stood a tall, poised young woman who seemed to radiate an unearthly grace. Her fair skin glowed under the lights, and her long, dark hair cascaded to her back, framing a face of flawless elegance. Her delicate features, soft cheekbones, ruby-red lips, a button nose, and piercing blue eyes, left him utterly speechless. She was breathtaking, far surpassing any beauty he had ever encountered, even Chiyo.

Kiyoshi swallowed hard, his throat dry as he stood frozen, unable to pull his gaze away. The thought of a gust of wind flipping her skirt briefly crossed his mind, though he quickly buried it under a wave of shame.

"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked with a soft, knowing smile, handing him a pristine, white student handbook. He took it with trembling hands and opened it, his eyes scanning the pages.

"This outlines the Underground Student Council's role," she explained, her voice as sweet as a lullaby. "Our mission is to eradicate any form of inappropriate behavior between students."

Kiyoshi glanced up, still captivated by her. "Who's the president?" he managed to stammer, unable to stop himself.

She gestured to the handbook. "The previous page will answer your question."

Flipping back, Kiyoshi's eyes landed on the title: The 40th President of the Underground Student Council – Mari, the Crow Mistress.

His blood ran cold as realization struck. He let the book slip from his grasp, staring at the girl before him with dawning terror.

"Yes," she said, her smile fading into an icy glare as she extended an arm. A sleek black crow swooped down to perch on it, while dozens of others swirled in the air above her. "That would be me."

Kiyoshi's knees nearly buckled as her piercing gaze bore into him, a stark contrast to the angelic warmth she had exuded moments ago. The ominous flutter of wings surrounded him, and the air grew thick with dread.

As the first crow dove toward him and Mari's glare intensified, Kiyoshi's mind replayed Akihiko's earlier warning: their plan had been idiotic from the start. He clenched his fists, consumed by regret.

If only he could turn back time. But it was far too late for that now.

Kiyoshi braced himself for the inevitable. The sharp sound of wings cutting through the air was deafening, but just as one of the crows was about to strike him, a calm yet playful voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"Now, now, President. Don't you think you're being a little too harsh?"

The crows halted mid-flight, circling back as Mari's glare turned even colder. A figure emerged from the shadows of the courtyard, his stride confident and annoyingly relaxed. Akihiko's green eyes sparkled with amusement, his signature smirk firmly in place as if he were immune to the chaos surrounding them. His hands were tucked casually into his blazer pockets, his tousled hair giving him an air of careless charm.

"Mochizuki-san," Mari hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, sweetheart," he said, dragging out the word with infuriating nonchalance, "I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd see what all the commotion was about. Imagine my surprise when I find my fiancée terrorizing some poor kid."

Mari's eyes narrowed into slits, and her hand tightened around the student handbook she still held. "Don't call me that," she spat. "And don't you dare interfere. This has nothing to do with you."

Kiyoshi stared at his savior with his jaw hanging open because of what he just heard. Fiance, did he say his fiancée ? This hot chick is HIS FIANCE!??

Akihiko raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening. "Oh, but it does have to do with me. See, I can't just stand by while you trample all over someone who probably doesn't even understand what's happening. Look at him." He gestured lazily to Kiyoshi, who was still frozen in place, wide-eyed and shaking. "The poor guy looks like he's about to wet himself."

Kiyoshi flinched, but Mari ignored him entirely, her attention fixed on Akihiko. "These boys violated the sanctity of our dormitory, Mochizuki-san," she said, her tone icy. "They deserve every punishment coming to them. Or do you, once again, think your precious gender should get away with everything?"

Akihiko let out a low chuckle, stepping closer until he was just outside Mari's reach. "Oh, I don't think they're innocent. Far from it," he admitted, shrugging. "But there's a difference between punishment and straight-up cruelty. You've already got four of them strung up like scarecrows. Adding this one to the mix feels a little excessive, don't you think?"

"Stay out of this, Mochizuki-san," Mari snapped, her voice rising for the first time. "Your opinions on my methods are irrelevant. Seeing you defending this trash, its just an another sign of your pathetic, entitled masculinity."

Akihiko sighed dramatically, running a hand through his hair. "There it is. The 'I hate men' speech. I swear, you've got it memorized at this point. Can't we just skip to the part where you ignore me and do whatever you want anyway?"

Mari's glare could have turned him to stone if looks could kill. "If you don't leave right now, I'll make you regret it."

Akihiko held up his hands in mock surrender, his smirk never faltering. "Alright, alright. I'm just saying, maybe tone it down a notch. And maybe, just maybe, don't take your frustration with me out on some random kid. It's not his fault you're stuck with me as your fiancé."

The words hit a nerve, and Mari's jaw tightened. Without another word, she turned to Kiyoshi, grabbing his hair with surprising strength. "You're coming with me," she said coldly, dragging him toward the podium where the other boys were tied up, ignoring his painful scream

"Hey, take it easy," Akihiko called after her, his tone still light but with a hint of genuine concern. "You're gonna break the poor guy's head before he even gets punished."

Mari didn't look back. "You should be grateful I'm not tying you up next to them," she shot over her shoulder.

Akihiko shrugged, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "Oh, I'm flattered, really. But I'd rather keep my dignity intact, thanks."

Kiyoshi cast a desperate glance back at Akihiko as Mari pulled him forward, but the older boy simply gave him a lazy wave, his smirk still firmly in place. "Good luck, kid," Akihiko said, his tone teasing but his eyes carrying a flicker of sympathy.

As Kiyoshi was hauled onto the podium and secured beside the others, he couldn't help but wonder how someone like Akihiko, who seemed so carefree, could possibly survive being engaged to someone as terrifying as Mari. But as Mari's cold voice began issuing orders to the crowd once more, Kiyoshi realized he had much bigger problems to worry about.

------

The early sunlight filtered through the cracks in the blinds, casting thin lines of gold across the minimalist bedroom. Akihiko Mochizuki sat up on the edge of his bed, his hair tousled from sleep but his sharp green eyes alert. He had slept surprisingly well given the chaos of the previous night. The memory of Kiyoshi's horrified expression and the savage punishment of his friends lingered in his mind.

Though Akihiko prided himself on his detached demeanor, he couldn't entirely shake the gnawing sense of pity for the boys. It wasn't sympathy, far from it. They had been reckless idiots. But the sheer cruelty of their punishment went beyond what he thought was reasonable, even by Mari's high standards of discipline.

As he poured himself a cup of tea from the set on his nightstand, his gaze fell on his phone. Sighing, he picked it up and scrolled through his contacts until he found the name he sought: Grandfather

His thumb hesitated for a moment before pressing the call button.

The line rang twice before the familiar, commanding voice of his grandfather came through. "Akihiko. I trust you've been keeping yourself out of trouble."

Akihiko smirked faintly. "As much as you'd expect, Grandpa. I assume you called me to discuss something urgent if you summoned me almost at the end of the week."

Kenichi's tone was as sharp as ever. "Indeed. We have matters to discuss regarding the Brotherhood. I expect you here on time. No excuses."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Akihiko replied smoothly, leaning back against the headboard.

"And Akihiko..." Kenichi's voice carried a rare edge of sternness. "Do not forget your responsibilities. You are a Mochizuki, and the next Mentor. Act like one."

Akihiko's smirk vanished briefly. "Understood."

The line went dead. Akihiko set the phone down with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Whatever awaited him at the Brotherhood's headquarters was bound to be exhausting. But for now, he had more immediate concerns.

A sharp knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," he called, already knowing who it was.

The door swung open to reveal the vice president of the Underground Student Council, Meiko Shiraki. Her sharp features were set in a mask of disdain, her piercing eyes fixed on him as though he were something unpleasant she had stepped on.

"Vice President," Akihiko greeted lazily, his smirk back in place. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

She stepped into the room, arms crossed, radiating an air of superiority. Her uniform was immaculate, every button and pleat perfectly in place. "Mochizuki-san," she began, her tone dripping with contempt. "You're called to the office of the USC. And also, whatever stunt you pulled last night with the president was completely inappropriate."

Akihiko raised an eyebrow. "Stunt? All I did was offer some helpful advice. Mari seemed to enjoy the attention."

Her cheeks flushed with anger. "Don't you dare speak of the president so casually! You're nothing but a—" She stopped herself, taking a deep breath to compose her rage.

Akihiko tilted his head, clearly amused. "A what? Go on. Don't hold back on my account."

She glared at him, her voice dropping to a venomous whisper. "You're an insufferable, arrogant man who doesn't deserve to be in the president's presence."

Akihiko chuckled softly. "Ah, so that's what this is about. You're jealous."

Her eyes blazed with fury. "Don't flatter yourself! I admire the president because she's everything you're not, strong, intelligent, and uncompromising. You're just a pathetic, privileged boy by the president."

Meiko didn't understand why Mari had such a passive treatment with this man, the thought made her confused. Did he have something special that the others didn't have? Or was Mari hiding something from him?

Akihiko stood, his height forcing her to tilt her head slightly to maintain eye contact. "Well, you've certainly got the uncompromising part right," he said, his smirk fading into a more serious expression. "But you should be careful where you direct your anger, Vice President. Mari doesn't need you to fight her battles."

She clenched her fists but said nothing, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.

Akihiko sighed, running a hand through his hair. "If that's all, I'd like to enjoy the rest of my morning in peace, I will come there later."

Her lips thinned, but she turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Akihiko shook his head, muttering to himself, "This school is going to be the death of me."

He poured another cup of tea, staring out the window. He saw the boys in a pitiful state, dressed in prison clothes. At first, he was surprised to see a prison integrated into the school, something he found very strange. But seeing Mari's hatred towards men, it doesn't even surprise him anymore.

Their hands were chained together, they all had their heads down. Was this treatment even allowed? He doubts it. Mari is crazy enough to break the laws.

"Well, I'm not an angel either"